Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Although to some it may not feel like it, it's been 5 full years since Nintendo graced many a console worldwide with the last Legend of Zelda title, Twilight Princess. In that time, gamers have been very vocal about how they feel the franchise needs to move forward provide a fresh experience with plenty to do away from the main story, ala Majora's Mask or Wind Waker. So here we have Nintendo's latest entry in the long running series, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, in Skyward Sword which hopes to appease those looking for something different but at the same time familiar. But with the genre, and gaming, having moved considerably forward in the last 5 years, can this new entry stand shoulder to shoulder against some tough competition and further prove the series' timelessness?

Gameplay

As an origin story, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword sets out to explain several important plot points from games in the series but for the purposes of this review, we'll leave the uncovering of these things to you so as not to spoil the connections to other games. The general story takes place on an outcrop of land floating in the sky, known as Skyloft, where you'll get to see and explore the relationship between childhood friends Link and Zelda. On the day of being a competition for progression into knighthood at the Skyloft Academy, a mysterious cyclone appears and causes Zelda to fall from her Loftwing to the world beneath the clouds while out with Link on a celebratory flight. Feeling responsible, you don the iconic green tunic, take up the sword, accompanied by a servant of the Goddess known as Fi, and descend to the world below to rescue your friend only to find out that something bigger is at play here. It's a simple premise but represents one of the more cinematic offerings from the series and shows a level of characterisation for the main and side characters that has been absent until now.

The tried and tested gameplay of games past continues, with the general idea of heading to an area, going through a dungeon and defeating a boss very much at play here but tweaks and alterations have been made to the formula to make it feel much more fresh. The standard forest, fire and water dungeon procedure that has been known to punctuate the early stages of these games since Ocarina of Time is changed here and while you'll still head to some of those elemental dungeons, things are much more encompassing than before. Split into three main regions, the world below the clouds acts essential as an overworld dungeon, incorporating puzzle elements and asking you to master a mixture of items before you even set foot in a dungeon. This blurring of the line between dungeon and world is a fantastic decision as it allows for some truly ingenious item use and puzzles and fills the world with things to do rather than act as a canvas within which the dungeons act. As a result of this, the dungeons themselves do feel slightly smaller but they're packed with character and ideas, as you'd expect from a Zelda game, with some dungeons on show here that will undoubtedly stick in the minds of gamers for years to come.

Items are a huge part of any Zelda game and with the game being designed around MotionPlus, the items you'll collect have been designed to make the best of the added control sensitivity providing some genuinely brilliant items. Stalwarts such as the bow and bombs return, along with obscure items such as the whip and Minish Cap's Gust Jar, but it is the single new item, the Beetle, which is perhaps the best item that Nintendo have included in a Zelda game in some time. It's a mechanical beetle that you pilot around the environments, just as you do when flying your Loftwing, and it allows you to pick up bombs, as well as items, and drop them on enemies or boulders blocking paths. It's a brilliant idea that is executed flawlessly and is something you'll yearn to see again and again in subsequent entries because of how brilliant it is.

Thankfully, the importance of the MotionPlus capabilities and the items that use the added sensitivity has been considered for the dungeons and you'll rarely encounter an instant where you don't have to use just about every item or ability you possess to progress, with the new stamina meter allowing you to run and cling on to ledges getting a real work out but quickly becoming an integral feature that should be continued in future titles. It means that every item has a larger purpose and makes the puzzles which insist on multiple item use much more enjoyable. It's also been considered in relation to the enemy design as well, allowing for a variety of strategies and MotionPlus use to get round their defences.

One of the biggest complaints against Twilight Princess was the lack of anything to do aside from the main game and the sparse mini-games and thankfully, this is an issue addressed here. With Skyloft and the islands in the sky acting as a sort of hub area, villagers will ask for Link's help at various stages in the game in a variety of tasks, such as getting hold of items or bugs from the lands below the clouds or delivering letters to specific people. The side quests are small in scope but help to flesh out the minor characters that you'll come to love the more you help them as you discover their quirks. Unfortunately, there is no quest log and so it is all too easy to lose track of a side quests objective or even who gave you it. Certain quests do incorporate the use of the dowsing ability so it is easy enough to get back on track but the majority don't.

Another big inclusion this time around is the ability to upgrade your items at the bazaar in Skyloft, which houses all the stores for buying items and potions. To do this, you'll have to gather collectible items, such as monster claws and ore, and bring them to the weapon smith who'll use the collectibles to upgrade the strength, power or efficiency of your items. Again, it's small in scope and you can ignore it completely but the upgrades do make a different in many circumstances so it's a worthwhile avenue to explore.

Completion of the game will take around 35 hours or more, depending on how involved you get in the side quests and upgrading items. Unfortunately, some of that time is taken up by Metroid-esque backtracking to areas and unnecessary padding, artificially extending the length of the game making it feel as though Nintendo weren't totally sold on doing away with the old formula just yet. It's a shame considering the strength of the gameplay, and almost everything else, on offer. Finishing the game unlocks a new Hero mode, which overwrites your save if you allow it to so make sure you have a backup, allowing you to play through the game again but on a much higher difficulty and various limitations designed to test your skills.

Controls

Motion controls aren't new in a Zelda game but this time around, Nintendo have gone full steam ahead and made the game a MotionPlus only title, which may upset those wanting a more analogue setup or even left handed gamers but it ultimately creates a much more fulfilling and engrossing experience and more than justifies the existence of motion controls. The sword controls, while not quite 1:1, are incredibly responsive, fluid and intuitive, mapping every move you make with the controller, little or large, almost perfectly. They do require a more tactical and patient approach from the player, slowing combat in the game down but it adds far more than it takes away, allowing you to marvel in how responsive the controls are to your every move. Similarly, the controls for flying your Loftwing work perfectly mapping your every move and giving you a true sense that you're in control of the bird.

Strangely, the game doesn't make use of the IR capabilities for the aiming of projectile weapons, with this also being handled through the added sensitivity of MotionPlus. It takes a little while to get used to, particularly as the movement of the reticule is a little on the slow side, but once you do it feels very natural controlling the bow or the new Beetle item this way and is far more accurate than the use of IR was in Twilight Princess. That's not to say the IR isn't used, as it's taken on the role of helping re-centre the MotionPlus when you point the controller directly at the screen and press down on the d-pad in the menu or map screens, something which you'll find yourself doing every so often but it never really breaks up the flow of the game.

There are some odd control choices, however. Swimming under the water, something which you won't be able to do until a consider distance into the game, is controlled in a similar way to flying and feeling awkward no matter how much time you spend getting your head around it. It maps out a more realistic movement within the water but it can be difficult lining up for items or enemies resulting in some cumbersome turning procedures.

Graphics

With a style that combines the fantastical look of Wind Waker and the more realistic tones of Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword looks stunning. The watercolour effect really makes everything pop and come to life in an entirely different way than before and gives the series its true fantasy identity which it has craved through various visual interpretations. It simultaneously allows for bright and vibrant locations as well as menacing and quirky ones which goes some way in telling you have fantastic the look is that it can seamlessly embody both types.

Working within the limitations of the hardware, the art direction has allowed for some stunning locations and truly unique effects that could only come from the minds at Nintendo. The dungeons, while smaller in scale, still perfectly showcase that Nintendo magic with heaps of character and ingenuity that few other games can match and thankfully, with the blurring of the lines between what is a dungeon and what is the overworld, this genius extends to these areas incorporating brilliant design choices that allows movement through these locations and puzzles to be merged beautifully. Skyloft, and the sky in general, can at times feel a little on the empty side but there's always something to see thanks to a great deal of work having gone into ensuring that these, and the areas beneath the clouds, are areas you'll never grow tired of due to their charm. There are, however, a few lapses in quality, with textures occasionally showing their seams and some rare frame rate stutters showing that Nintendo really has pushed the hardware as far as it is capable of being pushed.

The new art style has also allowed the designers to be creative in both the character and enemy design, and it's definitely some of the best in the series' history with classic enemies given a modern twist to compliment the new control style and a host of new enemies and bosses which are fantastic to behold. The Loftwings and Ghirahim, in particular, are real highlights as they look superb, showing off the creativity of the artists and showcasing some incredible animation that really brings the game together in the cutscenes.

Sound

Fans have been clamouring for it for some time now and finally, with Skyward Sword, they've received the first fully orchestrated soundtrack in series history and while it may occasionally take a few missteps, the resulting concoction is one of absolute auditory bliss. From the delicate plucking of harp strings to sweeping scores on violin to sumptuous bellows on wind instruments, the soundtrack breathes a new lease of life into the series' classic tracks making attempts to go back and listen to them as they were almost impossible. The new tracks seamlessly weave their way between these modern reworkings, crafting some truly melodic pieces accompanying the more cinematic moments that will continue to leave you with a sizeable grin on your face and constant shivers at how beautiful they sound.

There's no voice work again, outside of the occasional reactionary sounds from characters, and while there is debate over whether this should be included, it's perhaps time Nintendo took the Half Life approach and gave everyone a voice bar Link given the stellar work they did with Monolith Soft on the recent Xenoblade Chronicles.

Final comments

After 25 years, it seems Zelda is well on the way to becoming something bigger and bolder, with Skyward Sword making the first necessary steps in that direction. Looking at the game's individual elements show just how much this game has moved the series forward, with incredible motion controls, beautiful visuals and audio, great gameplay tweaks and a level of characterisation that has been missing for some time. Yet, as a collective, the finished game doesn't quite come together as well as the previous home console entries with some unnecessary padding and a lack of grandiosity holding the game back slightly. It's still fantastically good, despite these small issues, and a must play game for any Wii owner this holiday and the singular justification of how motion controls can enhance an experience.

Pro: Gameplay continues to be pinnacle within genre, looks and sounds incredible, best motion controls in a game ever, brilliant plot
Con: Some unnecessary padding, lacks a sense of grandiosity, Fi begins to grate very early on
Final score: 9.3

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